Emergency Meetings
by PriestessOfNox
Summary: AU where Krypton had not been destroyed but Clark Kent was raised on Earth in the 31st century. Likewise Querl Dox left Colu and came to Earth to be a surgeon. SLASH. Done for the "Everyday hero" weekly April challenge at the CxB club on deviantArt.


04/21/12

Emergency Meetings

The sound of sirens had become so common place Querl didn't notice them much anymore even though he had only been working at the hospital for less then two months. Or precisely one month, two weeks, three days and four hours, which hade made Lyle chuckle for some reason when he had said so during their lunch break.

"So what makes a Coluan come to Earth to be the youngest surgeon ever?" Lyle, an Earth native and medical researcher, asked after his laughing fit was over, slurping his soda and sneaking carrots onto Querl's plate when he thought the younger boy was too busy rolling his eyes at him to pay attention.

"I doubt I'm the youngest surgeon 'ever'," Querl used his fork to direct Lyle's hand away from his plate with the silent threat to stab it again. "In early Earth history humans had much shorter life spans and therefore had to master their respective skill much earlier in life, though their idea of surgery was a bizarre combination of leeches-"

"No blood letting talk while I'm eating," Lyle cut him off. "What I meant is, why a surgeon and why Earth? On Colu you're like the brainiest brain there is, a renowned inventor, here on Earth you're like a super brain but yet you pick a profession where most a patient will remember about you is that you're green."

"My patients are typically unconscious or under heavy medications, I should be lucky that they don't remember me as purple," Querl swatted at Lyle's hand again. What was it with his guy and trying to feed him all the time anyway?

"That's a little unfair, you have purple eyes and you get those special purple scrubs so people don't think you're walking around naked like they first did when you were wearing the green ones," Lyle was having problems holding in his chuckles.

"Don't remind me," Querl felt his face heating up. He noticed Lyle's unabashed staring and sighed. "I wanted a challenge."

For a moment Lyle was silent, except for the crunching of his chips as he chewed them over along with his thoughts.

"You know, most people would say they wanted to save lives."

"That is an added bonus but my decision was based on personal growth rather then the welfare of strangers," Brainy sipped his juice with a wince; it was far too sugary, he was going to have to try to remember to bring his own from home rather then buying it from the cafeteria everyday.

Lyle shrugged, "At least you're honest."

The silence lasted longer this time. It wasn't until Querl remembered social protocol that he asked, "What made you decide to become a medical researcher?"

"My Dad," Lyle got an almost absent minded look on his face, the same he always did when talking about his parents. "He wanted me to make this invisibility serum for the Science Police but, though I got it to work for me, I never got it to work on anyone else."

It was just a hunch but Querl suspected that Lyle never really tried to expand the serum beyond his own genetics. For that, he was relieved; he couldn't imagine any organized group, even the police, having an army of invincible fighters. Even in the most saintly of hands the temptation to do wrong was just too great.

That and one invisible kid was enough.

"Now I concentrate on things that can help people, cure diseases and stuff," Lyle finished off his food and wiped his mouth.

Another siren went off, stopping any further conversation. It was approaching them; soon it would go by their outside lunch table near where a few other doctors were playing basketball during their break.

Immediately trained instincts kicked in, Querl rushing to meet the ambulance but one didn't drive in. Instead Querl jumped back when a man flew down carrying a clearly injured woman.

The man was a few years older then Querl, black hair with a distinctive curl in the bangs, the most unique blue eyes in existence and he was wearing an altered E.M.T's uniform. It was white with blue and red strips going down his side, the city's emblem over his chest pocket almost like a police badge and a siren attached to his shoulder, the overall effect making him look like a living ambulance.

There was a second, maybe a second and a half where they just looked at each other, before other doctors came over wheeling a gurney. The man set down the woman and went with the doctors to tell them what happened as they took her to the ER.

A whistle brought Querl back to reality, turning back to Lyle and his half finished lunch. He hesitated but sat down with him to return to his meal; the others would call him if they needed him.

"That was your first time seeing Clark, huh?" Lyle was smiling almost obnoxiously.

"Clark?" Querl repeated.

"The flying ambulance," Lyle clarified. "He's Kryptonian."

"Don't most Kryptonians join the police force?" Brainy recalled reading an article about how Kryptonian cross planet immigration was heavily monitored.

Kryptonian that chose to leave Krypton for worlds with yellow suns had to go through an extensive screening process. Many of them who did not seek jobs where their powers could be of benefit to Earth citizens had to wear red sunlight generator bracelets to keep their powers in check. The bracelets were removable by the wearer in case of emergencies but were tracked by the government and removing the bracelet could get them sent back to Krypton if it had been without sufficient cause. The moral dilemma of treating an alien race, even a potentially dangerous one, like criminals was often in political debates. The bracelets were also often the reason most Kryptonian immigrants chose law enforcement as a career so they would be exempt from them.

"Don't most Coluans stay in their labs?" Lyle countered, "On Colu?"

"Point taken," Querl concentrated on eating for a bit. "Does he come here often, the flying ambulance?"

"Clark," Lyle reminded him, "And yeah. He takes patients who are stable enough to be carried to hospitals all over the city all the time. Once he even carried a full ambulance over because this little girl needed a whole team working on her to keep her alive on the way here. He practically had to lie on the ground to put the ambulance down gently on top of him so not to rock the people inside."

"Hmmm, interesting," Querl mumbled absently.

"Time to get back to science," Lyle stood and walked away, "See you later Brainy."

"This is the fifth time I'm telling you not to call me that!" Querl shouted after the retreating figure.

Querl saw Clark four times over the following month but each time there was little room for conversation. That is for conversation beyond that of the well being of the patient. Then once the patient was taken care of, Clark was gone.

Why did Querl care whether or not he got to talk to Clark was beyond him and it didn't help that Lyle kept humming that stupid "first comes love, then comes marriage" children's taunt around him.

Trying to put it out of his mind, Brainy looked over his paperwork for an upcoming scheduled surgery as he headed for a consult.

"Hey Brainy!"

"Don't-" Querl swung around but the rest died on his lips when he saw who had called him; it was Clark.

Grinning, Clark signed something at the Nurse's station and headed towards him.

Heart rate increasing, face flushing, dry throat; Querl was giving off all the signs of an infatuation and he barely knew the man. Words, he needed to remember how to form words.

"Your name is Brainy right?" Clark looked uncertain now. "I've heard Lyle call you that."

"It's a nick name he forced on me," Querl managed, not quite looking him in the face. "He calls me the brainiest brain 'ever'."

When Clark chuckled, Querl couldn't help but relax and smile a little.

"What is your name then?" Clark asked.

"Querl Dox," Querl extended his hand for a shake, something he knew was customary but typically avoided.

"Clark Kent," Clark shook his hand.

"That's a very Terran name," Querl stated, "Were you born here?"

"No but I was adopted by my Terran parents when I was still an infant," Clark said it simply but Querl sensed there was a lot more behind it.

"That sounds interesting," Querl wasn't saying it to be polite. "Where on Earth did you grow up?"

Clark smiled brightly, almost striking a proud pose as he said, "Smallville, Kansas."

Just when Querl was about to ask more the other doctor for his consult called him from down the hall and Clark's radio went off.

"I gotta go," Clark frowned.

"I as well," Querl's expression matched.

"I'll see you around," Clark smiled, waving as he headed out.

"Yeah, see you," Querl said after him but he was already gone.

After that Clark starting coming to the hospital for his lunch breaks. He would find Querl and talk him into joining him in the cafeteria or he would get lunch and join Querl and Lyle when they were eating outside, much to Lyle's displeasure. Sometimes he would play basketball with the other doctors after until he was called away while waiting for Querl to get out of surgery and there were times Clark dropped off something, usually something sugary, for Querl at the Nurse's station with the note that he "had to try it" or it was "super tasty" and he had to share it.

One day when Clark hadn't shown up yet, Lyle asked, "Are you and Clark dating?"

Querl almost choked, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that Mr. Innocent," Lyle crossed his arms. "Clark is always coming over here, eating with you, leaving you snacks, waiting for you when you're not around. He's friends with a bunch of the staff here but he doesn't make nearly half of the effort for them as he does for you."

"You'd have to ask him about that," Querl didn't like how soft his voice was.

"I did and he just grinned," Lyle frowned when Querl blushed. "You know if you were going to get a crush on someone I thought it would be me."

At that Querl frowned, "I don't think your boyfriend would appreciate that."

Lyle chuckled, "Condo thinks you're a kid, he would probably find it cute."

"Remind me to harmlessly rearrange some of his chemicals," Querl stabbed his salad with more force them needed.

"Hey, no singeing off my boyfriend's eyebrows," Lyle frowned, "Again."

"What he wouldn't find it cute?" Querl sarcastically fluttered his eyelashes.

Lyle laughed and stood, "Your boyfriend is here, I'll tell Chemical King you said hi and to keep an eye on his chemicals."

"You're going to give Condo a big head if you keep calling him that," Querl ignored Lyle's comment of, "that's the point", "And he's not my-"

"Hey Querl," Clark sat where Lyle had vacated, carrying his own lunch.

"Hi," Querl managed not to squeak.

Over time Querl became used to seeing Clark around and came to expect to see him. Days that he didn't just turned out to be bad days, like today.

Lunch had come and gone with no sign of Clark, no notes at the nurse's station and the nurses kept saying, "sorry sweetie" whenever he came by. He didn't really like feeling like some high school girl whining that her boyfriend wasn't calling her. Despite what the whole hospital thought he and Clark were just friends and there was no logical reason for him to feel so agitated.

By the time Querl left work he felt ready to strangle the next person who tried to make him sign something, ask him sometime idiot or use that stupid nick name.

"Hey Brainy, wait up!"

"Do you have a death wish Norg," Querl growled.

"Come on, hear me out," Lyle started pushing him towards the cafeteria.

"Christmas is over Norg, I don't have to put up with your holiday spirit anymore and that includes good will towards my fellow man," Querl just let himself be pushed, he knew it was better then being dragged.

"If you want to leave in five minutes I promise not to tie you to a chair," Lyle took away Querl's coat.

"I've heard that before," Querl reminded him.

"What can I say I'm a compulsive liar," Lyle opened the cafeteria doors.

"You mean you're constantly spewing bull-" Querl nearly shouted in turn when everyone in the cafeteria shouted, "Happy Birthday" and started throwing confetti at him.

"What, how, who," Querl never felt so incoherent.

"I have a friend in hiring here," Clark walked over to him carrying a huge green cake with Querl's forehead emblem on it and the words "Happy Birthday Querl" in purple frosting. "I got her to tell me when your birthday was since you said didn't celebrate Christmas."

"Oh," Querl's face felt very hot. He couldn't recall anyone doing anything like this for him before, especially when he came to his birthday considering he never celebrated it before.

His lips almost hurt with how much he was smiling at Clark, but he spoke very softly so only he could hear, "Thank you."

Clark's returning smiled was dazzling, "Don't mention it." He leaned down and kissed Querl's cheek, very light but it still made Querl's heart race as if he had just run to the other side of the hospital and back.

From Querl's understanding men raised with typical Terran beliefs did not go around kissing other men's cheeks, even if they were friends. Did this mean Clark believed they were dating? Did he want them to be dating?

Querl looked up at Clark, whose face was flushed and who looked surprised by his own actions, Querl smiled and lightly kissed his cheek in return.

He definitely didn't want to let this one fly away.

"Clark, don't drop the cake," Lyle shouted, though he couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces.


End file.
